Asda pledges 20,000 Christmas jobs

The roles be on top of the 7,000 positions the retailer has pledged to create by the end of the year, mostly at new stores and through the expansion of existing shops.

Asda chief operating officer Andy Clarke said: "Our seasonal jobs are ideal for students and those looking for part-time work over the festive period. It's the busiest time of the year for Asda, and we're expecting this to be our biggest Christmas ever as we are offering more low prices than any other supermarket.

"In a survey we found that nearly half of our shoppers were already thinking about Christmas shopping and we're looking for more seasonal colleagues than ever before."